Numerical controller and synchronous follow-up control method

A numerical controller comprising:

• a position table in which a positional relationship is defined in advance between a position of a master axis and positions of a plurality of slave axes;
• a slave axis synchronous control unit configured to drive and control the plurality of slave axes in accordance with the position table, so that the positions of the plurality of slave axes are synchronized with and follow the position of the master axis;
• a parent determining unit configured to determine one slave axis, from among the plurality of slave axes, to be a parent of the master axis;
• and
• a virtual axis position determining unit configured to determine a position of a virtual axis, in which the master axis is constructed virtually, in accordance with the position table, so that the virtual axis is synchronized with and follows the position of the slave axis determined to be the parent;
• wherein the slave axis synchronous control unit, in an event that the slave axis that serves as the parent of the master axis is determined by the parent determining unit, drives and controls a slave axis other than the slave axis determined to be the parent in accordance with the position table, so that the position of the slave axis other than the slave axis determined to be the parent is synchronized with and follows the position of the virtual axis.

A synchronous follow-up control method in which a position of a slave axis is synchronized with and made to follow a position of a master axis, comprising:

• a master axis driving and controlling step of driving and controlling the master axis based on a command position;
• a slave axis synchronous controlling step of driving and controlling the slave axis in accordance with a position table in which a positional relationship is defined in advance between the position of the master axis and the position of the slave axis, so that the position of the slave axis is synchronized with and follows the position of the master axis;
• a parent determining step of determining the slave axis to be a parent of the master axis;
• and
• a master axis synchronous controlling step of, in an event that the slave axis which serves as the parent of the master axis is determined by the parent determining step, driving and controlling the master axis in accordance with the position table, so that the position of the master axis is synchronized with and follows the position of the slave axis determined to be the parent.

A synchronous follow-up control method in which positions of a plurality of slave axes are synchronized with and made to follow a position of a master axis, comprising:

• a slave axis synchronous controlling step of driving and controlling the plurality of slave axes in accordance with a position table in which a positional relationship is defined in advance between the position of the master axis and the positions of the plurality of slave axes, so that the positions of the plurality of slave axes are synchronized with and follow the position of the master axis;
• a parent determining step of determining one slave axis, from among the plurality of slave axes, to be a parent of the master axis;
• and
• a virtual axis position determining step of determining a position of a virtual axis, in which the master axis is constructed virtually, in accordance with the position table, so that the virtual axis is synchronized with and follows the position of the slave axis determined to be the parent;
• wherein, in the slave axis synchronous controlling step, in an event that the slave axis that serves as the parent of the master axis is determined by the parent determining step, a slave axis other than the slave axis determined to be the parent is driven and controlled, so that the position of the slave axis other than the slave axis determined to be the parent is synchronized with and follows the position of the virtual axis.